​​Simon Wade is the Owner/Creative Director of 6twenty Design, overseeing the creative output and strategising the direction of the business. “I do this along with being one of the main content creators, so it keeps me pretty busy!” 6twenty produce motion graphics for broadcast and online including animation, visual effects and post-production work. They are Auckland-based but cater to clients globally. 

Wade initially undertook a graphic design paper while still at high school, giving him an insight into the culture of Media Arts. He liked what he saw, and was also attracted by the scope of disciplines he could study. “I knew that I was broadly interested in design and moving image but didn't want to exclude areas like photography and communications.” 

Highlights for Simon were the broad structure of the programme, and through this the variety of creative people he met during his time in the programme. This really set him up for the future, he says. 

“In my career I have worked with a huge variety of professionals who specialise in a wide range of disciplines, like design, photography, 3D, marketing, film direction, modelling and acting, lighting, and sculpting. Many of these disciplines I was exposed to while studying and so I have a good understanding, if not some practice, in them, which increases my ability to communicate effectively and therefore get the best outcome from my projects.”​

Career highlights to date: ​

• Creating, as part of an international team, the title graphics for the US and UK versions of The X Factor
• Winning the contract to redesign the SkyTV Arts Channel brand, as 6twenty Design
• Designing and creating kids TV series 'Poppet Stars', from initial pitch for funding from TVNZ and NZ On Air through to production and delivery

Check out his website here​.